U.S. patent number 7,509,508 [Application Number 11/200,208] was granted by the patent office on 2009-03-24 for signal transmission apparatus for external electronic devices.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Topower Computer Industrial Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Michael Chen.
United States Patent |
7,509,508 |
Chen |
March 24, 2009 |
Signal transmission apparatus for external electronic devices
Abstract
A signal transmission apparatus for external electronic devices
is located on and coupled with a power supply. One end of the
signal transmission apparatus that is coupled with the power supply
is connected to a control signal input and output unit through a
signal transmission line. The opposite end has a plug to connect to
an external electronic device. Through the line integration of the
signal transmission apparatus, an electric and signal transmission
line can be directly connected to the external electronic device to
provide required electricity and control signals.
Inventors: |
Chen; Michael (Taipei Hsien,
TW) |
Assignee: |
Topower Computer Industrial Co.,
Ltd. (Xindian, Taipei Hsien, TW)
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Family
ID: |
37885551 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/200,208 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2005 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20070067515 A1 |
Mar 22, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
713/300; 439/492;
439/493; 439/494; 439/495; 439/496; 439/497; 439/498; 439/499;
439/638 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
13/409 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G09G
5/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;713/300
;439/638,492-499 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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M242774 |
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Sep 1993 |
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TW |
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M245516 |
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Oct 1993 |
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TW |
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Primary Examiner: Elamin; Abdelmoniem
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe
PLLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A signal transmission apparatus for external electronic devices
to provide electricity and signals required for an external
electronic device which is connected electrically to a computer
host, comprising: a power supply to provide electricity required
for the external electronic device and the computer host including
a first connection port which has an electric connector and a
signal connector, the signal connector being coupled with a signal
transmission line to connect to the computer host; and a signal
adapter line which has an adapter on one end mating and
electrically connecting to the first connection port, and an
electric plug and a signal plug on other end corresponding to an
electric port and a signal port of the external electronic
device.
2. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first
connection port is located on an external face panel of the power
supply exposed to a housing of the computer host.
3. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first
connection port is located on the housing of the computer host.
4. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power
supply has a second connection port on the housing of the computer
host, the first connection port and the second connection port
forming an electric connection through an adapter interface.
5. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first
connection port and the second connection port are jointly located
on an internal face panel of the power supply located in the
computer host.
6. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first
connection port and the second connection port are located on a
same face panel of the power supply.
7. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first
connection port is electrically connected to a third connection
port which is for the signal transmission line, the third
connection port being located on a housing of the computer
host.
8. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal
transmission line is threaded through an aperture to connect to the
first connection port.
9. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
electric plug and the signal plug are coupled to form a coupling
head.
10. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
electric plug and the signal plug are separated to form two
coupling heads.
11. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 10, wherein the
electric plug has a first coupling member, the signal plug has a
second coupling member, and the first coupling member and the
second coupling member are coupled to form a coupling head which is
allowed assembly and disassembly.
12. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
electric plug and the signal plug are located on an external
box.
13. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
external electronic device is an external disk drive.
14. The signal transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
external electronic device is an external optical disk drive.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a signal transmission apparatus
for external electronic devices and particularly to a signal
transmission apparatus that integrates electricity and control
signal on the same cable through at least one connection port for
external electronic devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With computer related equipment advanced rapidly, information
industry are thriving. The capacity required by software also
increases greatly. As a result, the demand for transmission speed
of hard disks and computer external electronic devices also grows
constantly.
Among the present commercialized transmission products, Universal
Serial Bus interface (USB interface for short) and IEEE1394 series
products developed by Apple Computer Inc. are the most widely used
transmission specifications. In addition to providing signal
transmission, they also can provide power supply to an external
electronic device. Take the USB interface for instance, each USB
interface can provide voltage up to 5 Volts and current up to 500
mA. Hence each USB port can provide 2.5 W of power. However, the
present general IDE hard disk of 7200 RPM requires the power of 20
W, a 50.times.ATAPI CD-ROM requires 10-25 W, a SCSI CD-ROM requires
12 W, a 12.times./10.times./40.times.SCSI CD-R/RW requires 20 W,
and a 16.times.ATAPI DVD-ROM requires 10-25 W. Hence the
transmission apparatus adopted the present USB interface to provide
electricity and signal transmission for hard disks or optical disk
drives cannot fully meet the performance requirements of the
external products mentioned above. Hence using the USB interface or
IEEE1394 series products cannot provide sufficient electric power
required. An additional portable transformer has to be prepared to
connect the aforesaid external electronic devices. The technique
previously discussed has to be upgraded.
Moreover, the new generation of hot-swap SATA hard disk for adopts
a new hard disk transmission mode. It is a serial transmission
(differs from ATA parallel transmission) at a high frequency (ATA
is 33 Mhz, while SATA is 150 Mhz). It also can transmit for a
longer distance, consumes less electricity, and uses lower computer
power. The hard disk that adopts SATA also has a new power supply
mode. As the hard disk consumes less electricity than the ATA type,
the temperature is lower. At present SATA on the main stream hard
disk still does not fully exhaust ATA transmission speed, its
benefits are not fully appreciated. But when the hard disk of a
higher speed is developed, its benefits of transmission speed will
be significant. In addition to the benefit of higher transmission
speed, the SATA transmission line is thinner that the IDE flat
cable. The SATA flat cable can reach 100 cm according to the
specification. It is more than double the 45 cm of the PATA upper
limit. This can improve wiring in the chassis. Moreover, SATA
supports plug-and-play function, and is more convenient to couple
an external hard disk. However the hard disk or optical disk made
according to this specification requires more electric power to
reach the original design object.
R.O.C. Patent Publication No. M242774 and No. M245516 disclose a
power supply equipped with a power socket to couple with external
electronic devices. They can provide sufficient electric power for
the external electronic devices. But they cannot provide signal
transmission at the same time.
Based on previous discussion, the optimal approach is to provide an
apparatus that can integrate power supply and signal transmission,
and offer a voltage output required on the external electronic
devices. Hence how to directly couple the mainboard and hard disk
or external electronic device is an issue remained to be resolved
in the industry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore the primary object of the present invention is to solve
the aforesaid disadvantages. The present invention addresses the
problems that have baffled the industry for a long time, such as
the external electronic device has to be coupled with the mainboard
through a complex wiring and the source of power supply. The
invention provides a transmission apparatus which is coupled with a
power supply to connect to the power supply and a control signal
output device, and integrate in a single connection port. The
connection port is coupled with a cable to connect an external
electronic device. Users can easily connect the external electronic
device through the connection port and the cable. Hence
installation of the external electronic device is simpler, easier
and costs less.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and
advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the
following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the present invention in an assembled
condition.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the present invention in another
assembled condition.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present
invention.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic views of other embodiments of the
present invention.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2, the signal transmission apparatus
for external electronic devices of the invention is to connect
electrically an external electronic device 50 to a computer host 10
to provide required electric power and signals. It includes a power
supply 20 located in the computer host 10 that provides the
required electric power for the external electronic device 50 and
the computer host 10. The power supply 20 has a first connection
port 22 and a second connection port 23. The first connection port
22 has an electric connector 221 and a signal connector 222. The
electric connector 221 is connected to an electric output circuit
board 21 of the power supply 20 through an electric transmission
line 26. The signal connector 222 is coupled with a signal
transmission line 25 which is connected a mainboard 40 of the
computer host 10 through the second connection port 23 to transmit
control signals. There is an adapter 31 electrically coupled with a
signal adapter line 30 connecting to the first connection port 22.
The signal adapter line 30 has another end coupled with a coupling
head 32 corresponding to an electric port and signal port of the
external electronic device 50 (such as an external hard disk). The
coupling head 32 has an electric plug 321 and a signal plug 322 to
connect to the external electronic device 50.
Refer to FIG. 3 for the invention in an assembled condition. The
first connection port 22 is located in the power supply 20 inside
the housing of the computer host 10. The signal adapter line 30 has
one end opposite to the one coupled with the first connection port
22 connecting to a third connection port 11 on the operation face
panel of the computer host 10. The third connection port 11 is
located on the operation face panel of the computer host 10 where
the optical disk drive or floppy disk drive is installed and
exposed to facilitate installation of the external electronic
device 50. It also may be mounted onto a rear face panel of the
computer host 10. Thus the exposed third connection port 11 enables
users to easily connect the external electronic device 50.
Refer to FIG. 4 for another assembled condition of the invention.
The signal transmission line 25 is threaded though an aperture 24
formed on the power supply 20 to connect electrically with the
signal connector 222 of the first connection port 22.
Refer to FIG. 5 for an embodiment of the invention. The external
electronic device 50 may be an external box 50' of an electronic
device or other external electronic device, such as an external
optical disk drive or an external floppy disk drive.
Refer to FIGS. 6A and 6B for another embodiment of the invention.
The coupling head 32 includes the electric plug 321 and the signal
plug 322 as previously discussed. In another aspect, the coupling
head 32' has a first coupling member 3211' on one end where the
electric plug 321' is formed, and a second coupling member 3221' on
another end corresponding to the signal plug 322'. The first
coupling member 3211' and the second coupling member 3221' aim to
mate different input and output types to provide the required
electricity and signal for the external electronic device 50, and
may be disassembled or assembled whenever needed.
Refer to FIG. 7 for yet another embodiment of the invention. The
adapter 31 of the signal adapter line 30 or the coupling head 32
for coupling with the external electronic device 50 may adopt
various existing transmission connectors. The main feature is that
the electric transmission line 26 and the signal transmission line
25 are integrated to form the coupling head 32 to facilitate
installation of different types of the external electronic device
50.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set
forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed
embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof
may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended
claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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